Christchurch Earthquake: Are Your Domains Safe?

In the .NZ domain space, your domain registrations are passed through to the central registry that is managed by the New Zealand Registry Services (NZRS) company. NZRS has a main data centre and a hot spare in a geographically remote data centre. Their status page lists the main and hot spare as being up. If I recall correctly neither of these servers are in Christchurch.



If your registrar goes down you can use your UDAI to transfer your domain to another registrar and manage it there. This is managed by NZRS after the new registrar sends the UDAI and transfer message. Your old registrar is not involved. This is once of the scenarios why I always recommend people to keep their UDAIs safely under their control.

Status of major and Christchurch based registrars:

Domain Agent / Domains4less / Web Drive

Albany (Auckland) based, not affected

Digiweb / Discount Domains

I had an email this morning from them saying "All services at our two data centre facilities in Christchurch and one in Auckland are fully operational. To date we have not experienced any unscheduled outages on any services."

Net 24 / 1st Domains / Expired Domains / Register Direct

Have this posting on their site "Our systems are up and we continue to operate on generator power and will do so for as long as required. Our phone lines are down however, but Customer Support Services are operating via email."

Metaname

Based in Christchurch, they report "servers in the US, Auckland and Christchurch and all, including the Christchurch servers, are unaffected. Our staff are safe and our operations continue. Email support is available. Limited phone support is available for urgent requests." (updated 12:50)